IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,505,248
Granted Patent B2
US 11,505,248 · App. 16/927,728 · Granted Nov 22, 2022

Subframe structure

Inventors: Hiroyuki Okamoto (Aki-gun, JP); Fumihiro Kurohara (Aki-gun, JP); Ippei Kuroda (Aki-gun, JP); Hiromasa Honji (Aki-gun, JP); Yosuke Sawada (Aki-gun, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B62D21/02B60G7/008B60K5/04B62D21/11B62D21/155
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,505,248
App. No.
16/927,728
Granted
Nov 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A subframe structure includes a pair of left and right front-rear frames each mounted with a lower arm; and a transverse member connecting front portions of the front-rear frames. The front-rear frames each includes a rear horizontal portion formed substantially horizontally, an inclined portion extending frontward and upward from a front end of the rear horizontal portion, and a front horizontal portion extending horizontally frontward from a front end of the inclined portion. The transverse member is jointed at left and right ends thereof to the front horizontal portions respectively corresponding to the left and right ends, a rear end of the front horizontal portion is disposed to be positioned frontward of a front end of an engine, and the front-rear frames are deformed into a Z shape in vehicle side view in an event of a front-end collision and thereby energy of the front-end collision is absorbed.

Claims (36)

1. A subframe structure for a front suspension, the subframe structure comprising:

a pair of left and right front-rear frames each mounted with a suspension arm; and

a transverse member connecting front portions of the front-rear frames, wherein

the front-rear frames each includes a rear horizontal portion formed substantially horizontally, an inclined portion extending frontward and upward from a front end of the rear horizontal portion, and a front horizontal portion extending horizontally frontward from a front end of the inclined portion,

the transverse member is jointed at left and right ends thereof to the front horizontal portions respectively corresponding to the left and right ends,

a rear end of the front horizontal portion is disposed frontward of a front end of a vehicle driving apparatus,

the front-rear frames are deformed into a Z shape in vehicle side view in an event of a front-end collision and thereby energy of the front-end collision is absorbed, and

a rear end of the inclined portion is disposed frontward of the front end of the vehicle driving apparatus.

2. A subframe structure for a front suspension, the subframe structure comprising:

a pair of left and right front-rear frames each mounted with a suspension arm; and

a transverse member connecting front portions of the front-rear frames, wherein

the front-rear frames each includes a rear horizontal portion formed substantially horizontally, an inclined portion extending frontward and upward from a front end of the rear horizontal portion, and a front horizontal portion extending horizontally frontward from a front end of the inclined portion,

the transverse member is jointed at left and right ends thereof to the front horizontal portions respectively corresponding to the left and right ends,

a rear end of the front horizontal portion is disposed frontward of a front end of a vehicle driving apparatus,

the front-rear frames are deformed into a Z shape in vehicle side view in an event of a front-end collision and thereby energy of the front-end collision is absorbed, wherein

a recess extending in a vehicle width direction is formed in at least one of

a rear boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the rear horizontal portion and the inclined portion, and

a front boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the inclined portion and the front horizontal portion.

3. The subframe structure according to claim 2 , wherein

the recess is formed in each of the rear boundary portion and the front boundary portion, and

the recess is formed on an upper wall of the front-rear frame in the rear boundary portion, and formed on a lower wall of the front-rear frame in the front boundary portion.

4. The subframe structure according to claim 3 , wherein

a vehicle component disposed frontward of the vehicle driving apparatus is mounted on an upper wall of the inclined portion via a vehicle component mounting bracket,

the vehicle component mounting bracket at least has a length corresponding to a total length of the inclined portion in an extending direction of the inclined portion, and

of a rear boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the rear horizontal portion and the inclined portion and a front boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the inclined portion and the front horizontal portion, the vehicle component mounting bracket is disposed to only overlap the front boundary portion in a vehicle front-rear direction of the front-rear frame.

5. The subframe structure according to claim 4 , wherein the vehicle component mounting bracket is configured to mount the vehicle component at a position separated above from an upper wall corresponding to the front boundary portion in the front-rear frame.

6. The subframe structure according to claim 4 , wherein the vehicle component is a stabilizer extending in a vehicle width direction so as to connect the pair of left and right front-rear frames.

7. The subframe structure according to claim 4 , wherein

the front-rear frame has an upper and lower divided structure composed of an upper-side member and a lower-side member, and the upper-side member and the lower-side member are joined to form a shape of the front-rear frame, and

the front-rear frame is provided with an unjoined portion at a portion thereof overlapping the vehicle component mounting bracket in the vehicle front-rear direction, the unjoined portion being a portion where the upper-side member and the lower-side member are not joined.

8. The subframe structure according to claim 7 , wherein the lower-side member is formed to have lower strength than strength of the upper-side member.

9. The subframe structure according to claim 1 , wherein the front-rear frame is structured such that the rear horizontal portion is positioned on a vehicle-width-direction inner side relative to a front end of the front horizontal portion, and the front-rear frame is gradually positioned toward a vehicle-width-direction outer side from the front end of the rear horizontal portion to the front end of the front horizontal portion.

10. The subframe structure according to claim 1 , wherein a recess extending in a vehicle width direction is formed in at least one of

a rear boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the rear horizontal portion and the inclined portion, and

a front boundary portion that is located at a boundary between the inclined portion and the front horizontal portion.

11. The subframe structure according to claim 7 , wherein the front-rear frame is structured such that the rear horizontal portion is positioned on a vehicle-width-direction inner side relative to a front end of the front horizontal portion, and the front-rear frame is gradually positioned toward a vehicle-width-direction outer side from the front end of the rear horizontal portion to the front end of the front horizontal portion.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2020
From: OKAMOTO, HIROYUKI; KUROHARA, FUMIHIRO; KURODA, IPPEI; HONJI, HIROMASA; SAWADA, YOSUKE
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053194/0751 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2019-135934 · Jul 24, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210024132A1 · Jan 28, 2021